Patterning control means for knitting machines



Oct. .27, 1936. J. LAWSON ET AL PATTERNING CONTROL MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 7/4 Invewio 2'5 fahnllawsa n.

HLau/so Original Filed July 9, 1927 Roberifi Patented (Jet. 27,1e3e

UNITED STATES retain PATENT orrics PATTERNING CONTROL MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES- John Lawson, Bristol Highlands, and Robert H.

Lawson, Pawtucket, it. 1;, assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, It. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts 18 Claims.

This application is a division of our application Ser. No. 204,590, filed July 9, 1927, now Patent No. 1,858,301, May 17, 1932.

This invention relates to-a device or means for 5 efiecting the arrangement of strips or members provided with removable butts, the butts which are to make the pattern being retained and the others being removed. The removable .strips or members, after being arranged in accordance with 10 the desired pattern, are, at the desired time transferred in their pattern arrangement to a drum or receiving member of a knitting machine, such, for example, as'the jacquard drum or carrier disclosed in our Patent No, 1,872,598, August 16,

20 for reverse plating;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a plate or member upon which the jack-like devices of the jacquard drum. are. arranged to produce a pattern .based upon such a pattern as indicated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a'vertical section of the plate or member shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, we have disclosed means whereby jack-like members for a jacquard drum or carrier may be arranged in accordance with a pattern. In oursaid Patent No. 1,872,598, we have disclosed an entire jacquard mechanism whereby normal and reverse plating may be effected according to any pattern. In accordance with the mechanism there disclosed, the

5 pattern drum is provided with a large number of Jacquard like strips preferably equal in number to one half the number of needles. The said strips are adapted to be inserted in lengthwise extending grooves upon the periphery of a drum or barrel and they are provided with lugs according to the pattern. As disclosed in said Patent No. 1,872,598, each of said strips may have fortyeight projections. I

It is the purpose of the present application of 5 our invention. to provide a device or series of devices in each of which the jack-like strips may be arranged according to a pattern in a readily removable manner, so that when it is desired/to change the pattern in the jacquard machine, the

50 jack-like strips therein are removed and those in the device shown in Fig. 2 are substituted therefor in the order in which they are supp rted in the said device. In preparing for the insertion of the jack-like strips in the device of Fig. 2, we

56 previously'preparea card or paper I, as shown in Fig. 1. This card or paper is ruled or marked to present the desired pattern precisely as it appears in the stocking or otheriabric, the colors being indicated by diflerent hatching or markings generally indicated at 2.

We provide a tray or plate 3 having at its upper and lower edges filling or spacing strips 4, 5,-and fixedly secured to the strip l is a holding strip 6. Upon the face of the plate or tray 3 is pasted or otherwise secured a paper 1. The paper I is provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed lines or bands numbered 1'-48 the said bands affording a convenient means, in connection with the markings on the pattern sheet I, whereby the butts 12 which are to be removed can be readily determined. Furthermore, the fabric wales are indicated by numerals on the pattern sheet I,

numerals 1-9 being shown although it will be understood that all the vertically disposed lines,

indicating wales, on the pattern sheet I are num,-'

bered; likewise the selector jacks or strips H are correspondingly numbered. Thus by providing the horizontal bands on the sheet 7 and by numbering the said bands and correspondingly numbering the sheet I, and by numbering the wales indicated on the sheet I and the selector strips on the plate 3, it can be readily determined just what butts are to be removed from the selector strips l I to produce a desired 'Iabric pattern. Along the upper and lower edges oi the tray 3 are secured strips 8, d, and the said strips have aligning grooves therein equalling in number the number of the jack-like strips that are to be used in making the fabric. In the example given, the number of such strips is one half the needles of the machine. If desired, the color scheme of the pattern is indicated upon the paper 1 by difierent markings as indicatedat it. In Figs. 2 and 3, we have represented certain of the jack-like strips at ll, certain of the lugs or projections thereof being indicated at H. Each said strip is provided with a reduced upper end it and in assembling the said jack-like strips upon the tray or plate 3, the said reduced ends it are inserted under the confining strip 6 in a proper groove oi the upper strip 0.

In order to hold the jack-like strips in position on the tray or plate 3 until the particular design thereof is required, we provide a lower slide or member it having elongated slots it through which pass screws l8 whereby the said slide or member is secured to the plate or tray 3.

By loosening the screws It the slide or member It is movable downward viewing Figs. 2 and 3, so as to permit the insertion of all the jack-like strips, whereupon the said slide or member H is moved upwardly so as to engage and confine the lower reduced ends H of the jack-dike strips. Then the screws it are tightened so as to secure the slide or member M in position. The plate or tray 3 is now ready for use and a series of such trays may be provided for use as required.

In order to make use of the jack-like strips of any plate or tray, the jack-like strips that are in the slots of the jacquard drum of the machine are removed and the strips H are substituted therefor in the precise order in which they appear upon the said plate or tray.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that by use of the support or plate 3 in connection with the pattern sheet I in the manner hereinbefore described, it is possible thereafter to transfer the jack-like elements or strips 8 to the pattern controlling elements of a knitting machine, such as a jacquard drum, and without disturbing the relative arrangement of the said jack-like elements.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. For use in connection with an independent knitting machine having removable jack-like strips controlling the movement of special sinkers in effecting changes in reverse plating, a support or member upon which a complete series of jacklike strips may be arranged according to a desired pattern and from which said jack-like strips may be quickly transferred to the support in the machine for said jack-like strips, said support having means for retaining the jack-like strips as arranged, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jacklike strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

2. Pattern control means for knitting machines but separate therefrom consisting of a support or member to receive a series of jack-like strips according to a pattern, said support having means for retaining the jack-like strips as arranged, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

3. Pattern control means for knitting machines but separate therefrom consisting of a support or member to receive a series of jack-like strips according to a pattern, and means to confine said strips temporarily to said support or member, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

4. Pattern control means for knitting machines but separate therefrom consisting of a support or member to receive a series of jack-like strips according to a pattern, said support or member being grooved for the reception oi. said strips, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

5. Pattern control means for knitting machines but separate therefrom consisting of a support or member to receive a series of jack-like strips according to a pattern, said support or member being grooved for the recention of said strips. and

means temporarily to secure said strips on said grooves, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jacklike strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

6. For use in connection with an independent knitting machine having removable jack-like strips controlling the movement of instrumentalities to effect pattern changes, a support or member upon which a complete series of jack-like strips may be arranged according to a desired pattern and from which said jack-like strips may be quickly transferred to the support in the machine for said jack-like strips, in combination with a. sheet having thereon the pattern in accordance with which the strips are to be arranged on said support or member, the support and sheet having corresponding indications to facilitate the arrangement of the said jack-like strips in accordance with the pattern on the sheet.

7.. Pattern control means for knitting machines consisting of a support or member to receive a series of jack-like strips according. to a pattern, in combination with a sheet having thereon the pattern in accordance with which the strips are to be arranged on said support or member, the support and sheet having corresponding designations to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips in accordance with the pattern on the sh at.

8. Pattern control means for knitting machines consisting of a support or member to receive a series of jack-like strips according to a pattern, and means to confine said strips temporarily to said support or member, in combination with a sheet having thereon the pattern in accordance with which the strips are to be arranged on said support or member, the support and sheet having corresponding designations to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips in accordance with the pattern on the sheet.

9". Pattern control means independent of but adapted to be used-in connection with knitting machines consisting of or including a support, said support having grooves within which jacks are adapted to be received and retained in a desired prearranged order, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

10. Pattern control means independent oi. but adapted to be used in connection with knitting machines consisting of or including a support, said support having a longitudinally extending recess within which the ends of jacks are adapted to be received and retained in a prearranged order, said support also having indications thereon to facilitate the arrangement of the jack-like strips on the support in accordance with a desired pattern.

11. A, support adapted to receive and retain Jacks in a prearranged order, said support having two sets of alined grooves, the said sets of alined grooves being spaced from one another and adapted to receive opposite ends of the said jacks and retain them as arranged, and pattern indiassembled in a pattern member of a knitting machine.

13. A method of setting up pattern controlled elements corresponding to a given design consisting in or including the arranging oi jack-like elements, which initially have the same number of butts, in a support, removing some of the butts in accordance with the design shown on a chart, thereafter transferring the jack-like elements to the pattern controlling element of a knittingmachine and without disturbing the relative arrangement of the said jack-like elements.

it. A method of setting up pattern controlled elements corresponding to a given design consisting in or including the arranging of jack-like elements, which initially have the same number of butts, in a support, removing some of the butts in accordance with the design Show on a chart.

by referring to the chart and support each of which has line designations corresponding in number to the maximum number of butts on the jack-like elements, thereafter transferring the jack-like elements to the pattern controlling element of a knitting machine and without disturbing the relative arrangement of the said Jack-like elements. i

15. A pattern arranging plate for assisting in setting up a machine for making a fabric pattern, said plate having transversely extending bands, and in combination therewith having like pattern elements transversely mounted in the plate and each having a series of removable pattern determining projections some oi which-are to be removed prior to assembly of the said pattern elements in the machine for making patterned fabric, the aforesaid bands providing a convenient means for determining which ones of the projections shall be removed to efiect the making or the desired pattern in a fabric.

' 16. A pattern plate for assisting in arranging the pattern elements of a machine for making iabric patterns, said plate having removably mounted therein a series of like pattern elements which are to be incorporated in the machine for producing'the patterned fabric, the plate having numerals corresponding in number to the number of projections originally on each pattern element so that desired ones of the projections on the several pattern elements can'be readilyremoved and the pattern elements assembled in the machine in appropriate order.

17. A pattern plate for assisting in arranging pattern elements in a machine adapted to make patterned fabric, said plate having two parallelly and longitudinally disposed recesses, one of such recesses being defined by an adjustable member which in a retracted position permits the ready insertion of pattern elements having projections to engage in the other mentioned recess, the construction being such that when an appropriate "number of pattern elements are inserted, the

member may be moved to retain the pattern ele-,

- ments in position, and means for retaining the said member in its last named position.

18. Apattern plate for assembly therewith of pattern elements, means on the plate for retain-' ing the ends of the pattern elements, and means adjacent to such retaining means for maintaining thepattern elements in proper alignment, said means last mentioned consisting of notched strips within the notches of which the pattern elements are adapted to seat.

JOHN LAWSON. ROBERT H.- LAWSON. 

